The “Battle of L.A.” saw its latest installment on Thursday night. This time, however, the action between the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers played out inside the Orlando bubble as part of the NBA's 2019-20 regular season resumption.
There were several notable storylines from the matchup, so let's dive right in…
Bubble King
Lakers superstar LeBron James missed some time earlier this season due to a groin injury, but The King was ready to play on Thursday night. According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the hiatus of this season gave James a bit more time to heal up. And don't let the specks of gray in his beard fool you. LeBron kept his body in great shape.
James has always been known as a willing facilitator, and that's exactly how he started Thursday's game. In fact, his scoring production didn't come alive until the second and third quarters, as he was mostly passing the rock to his teammates (five assists in the first quarter alone). The Akron Hammer logged 34 minutes, scoring 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting (2-of-7 from downtown), 11 rebounds and seven assists. James also made a go-ahead layup with just under 13 seconds remaining, then clamped down on both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George during the ensuing defensive set to end the game.
Tie game. Orlando opener. Top two teams in the West.
The King came through 👑 pic.twitter.com/i77YzyrknH
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 31, 2020
Bron getting it done on both sides of the floor 🛡⚔️
(📺: @SpectrumSN & TNT) pic.twitter.com/PsS2IRPImY
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 31, 2020
AD shines
Simply put, Anthony Davis had a great game for the Lakers. The former Kentucky Wildcat standout led his team in scoring, racking up 34 points on 8-of-19 shooting (2-of-5 from beyond the arc), eight rebounds and four assists. Remarkably, Davis also went 16-of-17 from the free-throw line.
Though the circumstances surrounding the restart of this season are irregular, Davis says the game still felt competitive:
“It felt like a real game to me, two teams battling. … Can't complain for the first game,” Davis said, via ESPN.
Give it up for the big man 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QwCfnOZJnM
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 31, 2020
Kuzma contribution to Lakers
The Lakers are going to need Kuzma's production as this season plays on. The former first round pick logged 32 minutes, scoring 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Kuz staying ready beyond the arc 🎯
(📺: @SpectrumSN & TNT) pic.twitter.com/ZCdMTP2Rkd
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 31, 2020
Kuzma wasn't the only role player to step up for the Lakers in Thursday's game, though. Dion Waiters, who signed with the Lakers in March, added 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting with a plus/minus score of +17.
The Clippers actually held an 11-point lead in the third quarter, but the Lakers managed to rally. With the win, the Lakers moved to six and a half games ahead of the Clippers in the West with seven games remaining. The victory also lifted the Lakers to 50 wins for the 33rd time in franchise history.
The Lakers will be back in action on Saturday night, when they'll face off against the Toronto Raptors. Tip-off inside the bubble is set for 8:30 p.m. ET, with ESPN having live broadcast coverage.
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